Early mobilization after lung transplantation: A scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation
• Transplant Surgery

Background:

• Rehabilitation is standard post-lung transplantation (LTx), improving function and quality of life.
• Early intensive care unit (ICU) rehabilitation is underutilized, creating a gap in postoperative care.
• Limited data exist on early mobilization (<7 days) in ICU settings for LTx recipients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the evidence for feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of early mobilization interventions.
• To identify potential barriers and benefits of early mobilization in adult LTx recipients.
• To inform standardized clinical practice for post-LTx critical care recovery.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of studies evaluating early mobilization (<7 days) post-LTx in ICU.
• Comprehensive literature search across major biomedical databases (PubMed, Embase, etc.) and gray literature.
• Independent reviewer selection and data extraction, with no language or date restrictions.

Main Results:

• Evidence regarding the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of early mobilization in ICU for LTx recipients is currently limited.
• Further research is needed to establish optimal protocols and understand barriers.
• Early mobilization in critically ill patients is generally beneficial, but specific data for LTx is sparse.

Conclusions:

• There is a need to establish evidence-based protocols for early mobilization in the ICU following lung transplantation.
• Understanding feasibility and safety is paramount before widespread clinical implementation.
• Future research should focus on defining optimal early mobilization strategies to enhance recovery in LTx patients.